WWE Entertainment gives Halle Berry 'The Call'

The Call is a taut thriller that gets just a little out of control. While this release from WWE Studios features superb acting by Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin and Morris Chestnut, it does have a few flaws. However, nitpicking this kind of film does an injustice to anyone who just wants to watch something that doesn’t require too much investment or too much brain power.

Berry plays Jordan Turner, a 911 operator, who gets a call about a home invasion. The girl on the other end hides following Turner’s advice. The ruse works, but when the phone gets disconnected, Turner calls back. The abductor hears the phone ring only once and finds the girl hiding in her bedroom. Later, the girl turns up dead.

Flash forward six months, Turner is now a trainer when a probie gets a call from an abducted girl. Turner has to take over the call and face her fears and guilt. But let’s not get too tied up in the psychological aspects of the film. This is the WWE after all. There is plenty of violence with very little gore and most of the body count is implied rather than shown.

Each of the three protagonists in the film do a great job of conveying emotion and playing the character they are giving. Chestnut’s cop is a stereotype but well-played. The murderer, who has no redeeming value whatsoever, has no backstory. It is clear that he is evil, but he has no depth. The script throws a plot twist at the end, which some may find gratifying.

The great thing about The Call is that WWE is moving away from movies as star vehicle for their wrestlers and moving into inexpensive thrillers featuring stars who need to become known, like Karen Gillan in Oculus, or stars that may be recovering from a downturn in career like Halle Berry.

Those looking for a thriller that doesn’t require too much thinking while still delivering up a story line that is 2/3 believable shouldn’t miss The Call.